Essick Air H12-400 3-Speed Evaporative Console Humidifier, Oak Burl
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Essick Air H12-400 3-Speed Evaporative Console Humidifier, Oak Burl
Customer Review: Best Whole House Ever!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is exactly what I have been looking for. Easily does the entire house, wick filter lasts a long time, holds enough water, shuts off when the water runs out, cycles on and off to keep house at set humidity level, and reasonably priced. A great buy!Customer Review: Broken after 1.5 years.
Summary: 2 Stars
Bought this about a year and a half ago. On anything but low it was fairly loud when it was new -- on high it was as loud as any air conditioner I've ever heard. But after about a year it started getting louder -- the spindle that the fan is on started becoming loose, and about a month ago it's just become deafening and even starting to smell like it's rubbing and will start to burst into flame or something. I mean this is just a large box that holds water and a wick you have to replace -- the fan is the only thing to it! And for it to be bad this quickly (but naturally far outside of the warranty period...) is just a sign of poor product, especially for the price you pay.Customer Review: Day One with the Essick Air H12-400
Summary: 4 Stars
Mine too arrived with a cracked cabinet. The manufacturer's packaging apparently allows the contents to shift enough that the heavy fan assembly can crack the flimsy cabinet. The crack is at the right rear corner and extends about eight inches from the top. It is a clean crack with the separated pieces fitting together without gaps. I used two inch transparent packing tape to seal it shut and the crack has nearly disappeared. I had initially decided to return the item but opted to keep it rather than hassle with return shipping. A replacement wick shipped separately would also have to be returned otherwise.
The item has few parts so assembly is straight forward enough. Do ensure that the wick is hooked to the cabinet along the wick's top and that the foam float is in its place at the bottom of the cabinet. Another reviewer noted that a replacement filter did include the extended wick retainer to hold the float and rod assembly in place. The wick retainer may be easily removed from an old wick and installed on a replacement wick. I know of no easy way to remember to do so before discarding an old wick. Perhaps I should tape a note on the wick while I'm thinking of it.
Kinks in the filler hose restricted water flow to such a degree that I had to hold the assembly to the faucet when filling the bottle although I confess that reducing the water flow to a more moderate rate solved the problem. I do tend to be impatient at times. The bottle can rest solidly on the floor while filling - this is a plus. The filled bottle weighs a bit over 20 pounds but user-friendly handles at top and bottom allow easy carrying. After thinking it was missing from the shipment, I spotted the bottle's black cap at the bottom of the cabinet's black interior. Also look for the black rubber gasket that helps seal the cap to the bottle. After inserting the filled bottle into the cabinet, it took about fifteen minutes to empty into the cabinet's reservoir.
The initial emptying was accompanied by periodic gurgling noises as air bubbled up through the remaining water in the bottle. Two subsequent fillings confirmed that the gurgling noises will continue. The child in me finds these noises amusing and pleasant. Although I have no pets, it seems likely to me that pets may react to the noises in unpredictable ways and it might be wise to observe their reactions. A good sized dog could topple the humidifier without much difficulty so having a 5-gallon wet-dry vacuum at hand might be a precaution to consider.
Another reviewer commented that the bottle's cap is replaceable should it fail to function because of mineral deposits. If my cap reaches that state, I will try soaking it in vinegar before spending money on a replacement. Seems worth a try anyway.
On its highest setting, the fan is noisy enough to mask quiet conversation, nearby jackhammers, and, possibly, World War III. The medium fan setting is also noisy and the lowest setting noticeable. I will soon move the unit away from my living room to a hallway near the other end of the apartment.
I used a Caliber III Digital Thermometer Hygrometer, also purchased through Amazon, to gauge the humidifier's effectiveness. Before switching on the humidifier, the relative humidity level was below the gauge's display limit. Within an hour of running the Essick Air H12-400 at high speed, the gauge indicated 27% humidity at 68.7° F in the living room. A bedroom at the other end of the apartment had reached 20% humidity at the same temperature by that time. The noisy box was certainly putting moisture into the air.
I live in South Dakota and have hot-water baseboard heat. The outside temperature has been between below 10° F since I first turned on the humidifier. After twelve hours of running mostly at the lowest fan setting, the unit has raised the humidity level to 40% in my apartment. I expect that level to climb as the carpeting, mattresses, and soft furniture have absorbed their fill of moisture and stabilize. It hadn't occurred to me before this moment that bone dry furniture may be more likely to be set alight by an errant spark than furniture in a more humid environment. I have no evidence that this is so but it does help to justify the purchase in my mind.
So far I am pleased with my purchase and would recommend it with the caveats expressed above. I also recommend the Caliber III Digital Thermometer Hygrometer. I've also ordered, through Amazon, three inexpensive Western Digital Analog Hygrometers to place around the apartment to see how well the humidity is being distributed. I'm hopeful that having such information will help me determine the optimal location for the humidifier.
Customer Review: Diane
Summary: 5 Stars
We had never had a humidifier before and chose this one on the recommendation of friends and because we thought it looked better than any others we saw. It has made a big difference in our home and both my husband and I have noticed that our noses and skin are less dry. We feel we made a good pruchase.Customer Review: Doing just what we need it to do!
Summary: 4 Stars
This product doesn't look too bad, even when it's in the middle of everything like it is in our house. It is rather large and the instructions say it should be at least 4 inches from any wall, making the space required even larger. The quiet setting is very quiet, but doesn't seem to disburse enough moisture to leave the immediate area of the humidifier. The other settings are quite loud but effective. We generally fill the humidifier twice a day and leave it on the higher settings only when no one is home and it makes a noticeable difference in our ~1000 sq ft house. I would recommend it for the price!